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How
to Make Great Candy By
Arlene Correll |
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There is nothing
more fun or more satisfying to me than to make homemade candy. I think if I were even 10 years younger, I would make candy
for a living. I have fond memories
of Vangie Wright’s kitchen and making homemade taffy with Judy, Jane,
Danny and myself on a winter’s evening. When our son middle
son, Fred, was alive, every Halloween he would recount his childhood
memory of going Trick and Treating to Jane Daby’s house for the
“best ever” popcorn balls. He
always related how he would go back about 3 or 4 times during the
evening. He said when he was little, he thought he had Jane fooled, but
as an adult, he knew she just made tons of popcorn balls and gave them
out all evening long to all the kids, no matter how many times they came
back for more. Even today,
Glynis will reminisce about Jane’s popcorn balls.
Candy making is a
lost art. Candy is so inexpensive to buy today and that seems to be one
of the reasons that few people make it. Plus most of our lives are so
busy, we do not think we have the time.
Well, make the time! There is something really satisfying and therapeutic about
making candy, especially, with your children, or as a family project. I
remember our oldest daughter, Donna, making fudge as a fund raising
project for herself when she was about 8 years old.
It is not hard to do. There are some tricks to making candy
and the only one I can really emphasize is NOT
to make candy on a rainy or humid day.
It is a waste of time and my candy never comes out on those days.
The best advice I can give you is to only make candy on dry days! |
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I believe it is important to have a Candy
Thermometer:
A necessary item when making candy in order to get the food to
exactly the right temperature. The thermometer clips onto the side of
the cooking pot so that the bottom is in the boiling liquid but not
touching the metal. Important! Let your thermometer cool before
cleaning it or you run the risk of it shattering.
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The following are
the stages one must know when making candy and all stages are clearly
marked on a candy thermometer. Thread
Stage: (230 – 233 degrees F)
When a teaspoon is dipped into the hot mixture, then removed, the candy
falls off the spoon in a 2-inch long, fine, thin thread. Firm-ball
Stage: (244 – 248 degrees F) Candy mixture is firm enough to hold its shape
but quickly flattens out. One can make candy
without a candy thermometer just by obtaining one of the above stages as
required in whatever recipe you are using.
Just keep a cup of water handy and drip a drop of the candy you
are cooking into the water. When
it has cooked enough it will become whatever stage you need. i.e. hard
crack, soft crack. However, candy thermometers are really inexpensive
and I recommend one. |
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Another
important item for making candy is a double boiler.
Most of today’s cooks have cooking sets that included a double boiler
which consists of two pots, one which sits on
top of the other. The bottom pot contain boiling water, the top pot
contains whatever is being cooked. This tool is useful for making
delicate sauces or melting chocolate or any other occasion when you
don't want to have direct heat on the food which is being cooked. You can
improvise a double boiler by placing the items to be cooked in a metal
bowl, which is placed over a pot of boiling water. |
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The following are
definitions of the ingredients many of the candy recipes call for. Brown
Sugar: Sugar
that has been mixed with molasses. Brown sugar is usually available in
light or dark varieties. The darker the color, the more intense the
flavor. Confectioner’s
Sugar:
White powdered sugar, typically
used for making frostings. While
many recipes will specify one type of brown sugar or the other, you can
generally get away with interchanging them without really sacrificing
the recipe's integrity. Liquid
flavor essences:
Liquid flavor essences that can be added to recipes.
We know them as mint, almond, rum, lemon, orange, etc.
You can get pure (natural) extracts or artificial ones. Of
course, natural is always better. Artificial extracts have artificial
flavors which can really throw off the taste of a recipe, so while pure
extracts are considerably more expensive, they are definitely worth it!
While extracts last a long time (store them in a cool dark place), they
will eventually lose their potency. Smell the extract, the more potent
the fragrance, the fresher the extract. If the smell is weak, the flavor
will be too. When
it comes to butter, please use
the best butter you can buy. Do
not substitute margarine or use any butter substitutes.
Butter is made from cream that has been whipped into a solid
state. Salted or unsalted, that is the question. In many cases, it won't
make a huge amount of difference if you substitute one for the other (if
it does, the recipe will usually specify). Salted butter usually
contains more moisture than unsalted. Professional chefs will usually
use unsalted so that they control the exact amounts of salt and
moisture. It's easy to measure butter because measurements are usually
given on the paper that wraps the stick. Simply cut off a piece that is
the proper measurement (1 stick is eight tablespoons or one half a cup).
To soften butter simply leave it at room temperature until is soft, but
not gooey or melted. Many
recipes call for Corn Syrup:
High fructose corn syrup, available in either light or dark
varieties. Corn syrup can be found in grocery stores. Some
recipes call for sweetened condensed milk:
Concentrated sweetened milk, available in cans at your grocery
store. Other
recipes may call for evaporated Milk:
Concentrated, unsweetened milk made by evaporating some of the
liquid in whole milk. Available in cans in your grocery store. Most
recipes will call for vanilla:
An integral part of many recipes,
vanilla comes in either extract, powder (the home baker will probably
never see or use vanilla powder) or whole beans. When buying vanilla
extract always get pure or natural extract as opposed to artificial
vanilla. There simply is no comparison. I have found that I can get good
pure vanilla for only $2.00 per bottle in Dollar General.
At that price there is no need to use artificial vanilla. Vanilla
beans (also known as pods) come from many parts of the world, with those
from Tahiti and Madagascar being the most prized. Both the outer part of
the bean and the pulpy interior can be used. Vanilla
beans are usually used to flavor liquid. To use, slit the entire bean
lengthwise and scrape the soft pulpy interior and seeds into your
liquid, then drop in the outer pod as well. Infusing vanilla is not
unlike making tea. After the liquid has been boiled and infused with the
vanilla essence, the bean itself can be removed (the seeds, of course,
remain). Don't discard the bean, however. Rinse the bean and allow it to
dry at room temperature. Bury the used, dry pods in a container of sugar
for a wonderfully flavored recipe addition. Some
information about chocolate:
Chocolate comes in many forms: unsweetened, semi-sweet,
bittersweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate (which technically isn't
chocolate at all, but does have similarities so we'll include it here as
well). Chocolate is unique among vegetables in that its fat (cocoa
butter) is solid at room temperature. Since this fat melts at mouth
temperature, chocolate is an excellent flavor conductor. Cocoa powder is
made by separating most of the cocoa butter out of the liquor. Similar to coffee,
cacao beans are dried and roasted before being hulled. "Chocolate
liquor", made from the roasted, ground cocoa bean nibs (the meat of
the cacao bean) is what makes chocolate. Thus, unsweetened chocolate is
pure chocolate liquor and about 50% cocoa butter. Bittersweet chocolate
blends at least 35% liquor with as much as 50% with cocoa butter, sugar
and vanilla. Semisweet chocolate
has the same ingredients as bittersweet with the addition of more sugar.
Milk chocolate, which contains about 10% chocolate liquor, takes the
process a step further by adding about 12% milk solids. White chocolate is
made from cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar and vanilla. When buying white
chocolate, look for a brand that contains cocoa butter. There are
cheaper versions (which by law cannot be called chocolate) that don't
contain any cocoa butter, but their flavor is inferior to those that do.
When storing
chocolate store it in a cool, dry place in its original wrapping or
wrapped in foil. Avoid storing chocolate in the refrigerator. Milk and
white chocolates will keep this way for about a year. The darker
varieties will keep for several years. Sometimes chocolate
will develop white or gray "clouds" or "blooms" on
its surface. This just means that the cocoa butter has separated. While
it doesn't look pretty, the chocolate is still perfectly fine to use and
if you plan on melting it, no one will ever know the difference. Melting
or Tempering Chocolate is not hard to do.
Care must be taken when melting chocolate or you can easily end
up with a grainy mess. The lighter the chocolate, the higher the chances
of this happening. The most important thing to remember is that
chocolate melts better and faster at lower temperatures. Never let your
chocolate get above 115° F. The best method is
using a double boiler (one pot that holds the chocolate that fits over
another which contains about an inch of simmering water). If you don't
have a double boiler, you can use a heat proof bowl which is large
enough to be suspended over a pot without its bottom touching the
simmering water.( as shown in above picture) Simmer the water over low
heat and stir the chocolate often. Remove from the heat as soon as the
chocolate is melted and stir until smooth. Be extremely careful
not to get any water (not even a drop) into the chocolate. Water will
turn the chocolate into a grainy, lumpy mess. If this happens, you can
add a little vegetable oil in order to make it smooth again, but this
will affect the flavor. What if your recipe
calls for melting chocolate along with water or some other type of
liquid? That's fine, as long as the liquid is mixed with the chocolate
from the beginning of the melting process, it won't get grainy on you,
(but adding even a drop in mid-melting will cause this problem). Alternatively, you
can melt chocolate in a dry oven and even a microwave.
Place grated chocolate in a metal bowl and place it in an oven
set at 110° F (if your oven doesn't go that low, use the lowest
temperature and keep the door ajar). Your chocolate will melt in about
an hour. When using a
microwave, one usually has to “play” with the timing.
Depending on the amount of chocolate it usually is from 1 minute
to 4 or 5. I do it a minute at a time, using a microwave safe bowl, and
I stir between the minutes until it is completely melted. Tempering
chocolate: Tempering is important because it determines
the final gloss, hardness and contraction of chocolate. When you melt
chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. In order to put them back
together, you must temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it but
the result is always the same. Chocolate is tempered when its
temperature is between 84° and 88°F (29° and 31°C). One of
the easiest ways to temper it is to place chocolate in the microwave for
thirty seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate it melted. Be
very careful not to overheat it: The chocolate may not look as if it has
completely melted, because it retains its shape. The chocolate should be
only slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it
once you've stirred it, but don't worry; the residual heat of the
chocolate will melt it. You can also use an immersion blender to break
up the lumps and start the re-crystallization process. Usually
the chocolate begins to set (re-crystallize) along the side of the bowl.
As it begins to crystallize, mix those crystals into the melted
chocolate and they will begin the re-crystallization process. Many cooks
like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the
chocolate tempered for a long time. (note: this is one way to temper
chocolate. ) Whenever
checking tempering, use this simple method.
Apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the
point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will
harden evenly and show a good gloss within five minutes. Some
facts about shortening:
Shortening a solid fat made from vegetable oils typically used to
make pie crusts flaky. Virtually tasteless, you can substitute vegetable
shortening for other fats in baking. Some companies also make a butter
flavored shortening which is especially popular for baking and pie
crusts. While made from oil,
shortening has been hydrogenated into a solid state, a process which
creates trans-fatty acids and converts the mixture to a saturated fat.
It can also be melted and used for frying. It is excellent for greasing
pans, as it does not easily burn and is practically tasteless. Properly
preparing your pans is the best insurance a cook has for preventing food
from sticking while baking. You want to smear a thin, even layer of
grease (either use shortening, oil or butter, or even cooking spray)
over your pan. Cooking sprays are simple, you merely spray them on. For
butter, shortening or oil you have a couple of choices. First, it helps
if you're using a solid grease, like butter, to have it at room
temperature. You can then use a paper towel to evenly coat your pan with
butter, shortening or oil. Alternatively, you can melt you solid grease
(oil is already a liquid) and use a pastry brush to evenly brush the
grease on the pan. In either case, make sure you don't miss any spots,
to your food will be likely to stick to them. I used
prefer shortening for greasing baking pans. It's inexpensive and is
tasteless. It also won't brown or burn like butter can.
However, now that the commercial sprays have become so
inexpensive, I generally use those.
Over the years I have also developed a liking for using parchment
paper. Especially for
cookies. Many
recipes will call for you to "grease and flour" your pans.
This simply means that you are going to add a thin dusting of flour on
top of the layer of grease. This helps to keep extra sticky batters from
adhering to the pan. Simply place a few tablespoons of flour into your
greased pan. Gently roll the pan, while tapping the sides in order to
distribute an even coating of flour over the grease, discard any
leftover flour. Your pans are now ready for baking.
Note:
There is a commercial spray available that greases and flours your pans
in one easy step. It's not necessary to buy this product, but it is a
quick and easy convenience. How
to use the methods of folding:
Folding is a gentle way of mixing ingredients. This technique is
usually used when blending a light airy ingredient (such as whipped egg
whites or whipped cream) into a heavier one. Folding helps to maintain
some of the airy texture. You will almost always be adding the lighter
ingredient into the heavier one, not the other way around. Use a rubber
spatula to fold ingredients into each other. |
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Baking
Sheets are also known as cookie sheets.
Rectangular pans used for baking. Sheets come either flat or with
a shallow rim (also known as a jellyroll pan). When buying baking
sheets, a general rule is, the heavier the better. Beware of thin sheets
tend to warp easily, and make it easier for cookies to burn and stick.
It is handy to have at least four baking sheets in your kitchen. That
way, while two are baking, you can ready the next two for the oven. Insulated
baking sheets, which are actually two aluminum sheets with an air space
between them, work especially well for soft cookies and breads, although
they are not the best choice for crisp cookies. I like crispy cookies
and after purchasing and using the insulated baking sheets, I gave them
to my youngest daughter, Glynis, to use in her catering business. Here
are some of my favorite candy recipes that I have collected and used
over the years. |
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Pecan
Delights
2-1/4 C packed brown sugar |
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In a large saucepan,
combine the first four ingredients. Cook over medium heat until all
sugar is dissolved. Gradually add milk and mix well. Continue cooking
until candy thermometer reads 248°F (firm-ball stage). Remove from the
heat; stir in vanilla until blended. Fold in the pecans. Drop by
tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl or double
boiler. Drizzle over each cluster. Cool. Yield: about 4
dozen |
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Easy Peppermint
Patties
1 lb. confectioners' sugar |
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In a bowl, combine
first four ingredients. Add milk and mix well. Roll into 1-in balls and
place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for 20 minutes. Flatten
with a glass to 1/4". Chill for 30 minutes. In a double boiler or
microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Dip patties
and place on waxed paper to harden. Makes about 5
dozen |
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Triple
Chocolate Fudge
1 C butter 1 C packed dark brown sugar 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk 32 large marshmallows, halved 2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips 2 milk chocolate candy bars (7 oz each), broken |
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| 2 squares (1 oz each) semisweet baking chocolate,
chopped 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 C chopped pecans |
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In a large saucepan,
combine first four ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until
sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for 5 minutes,
stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in marshmallows until
melted. Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add chocolate bars and
baking chocolate and stir until melted. Fold in vanilla and pecans. Pour
into a greased 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan. Chill until
firm. Cut into squares. Makes about 5 1/2
pounds |
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HONEYCOMB
CANDY 1 c. sugar 1 tbsp. vinegar 1 tbsp. baking soda Cook first 3 ingredients to 300 degrees. Add soda. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 inch dish. Do not spread. Let cool. Once cool, you can break it into pieces and pour melted chocolate over it.
To do this, place a cookie rack on a cookie sheet.
Place cooled candy pieces on rack and pour the chocolate on top
of the candy. When the chocolate has cooled, you can then turn the candy
over. You can collect the excess chocolate on cookie sheet, re-melt it
and use it to pour on the other side of the candy. DIABETIC
CHOCOLATE FUDGE 16 ounces cream
cheese softened Beat cream cheese,
chocolate, sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in pecans.
Pour into an 8-inch square baking pan lined with foil. Cover and
refrigerate overnight. Homemade
Twix Bars Another
Honeycomb Recipe This
one takes about 15 minutes to make and makes about 50 pieces. 1 1/2 cups
sugar and with a
wooden spoon, stir in gently. It will foam up a lot. Pour the mixture
onto a silpat or a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan, and let
cool. Break into pieces. Chocolate
covered Honeycomb (I
guess by now, one can surmise, I am a honeycomb candy freak!) |
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1/2 cup firmly
packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon
vegetable shortening |
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Line bottom and
sides a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with lightly buttered aluminum foil.
Set aside. Combine the brown
sugar, sugar, corn syrup, vinegar and butter in a large, heavy cooking
pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.
Continue cooking syrup, without stirring, to 300*F (150*C) on a candy
thermometer, about 15 minutes. (A small amount of syrup will separate
into brittle threads when dropped into cold water.) Remove from heat and
stir in baking soda, mixing well. Mixture will foam up. Quickly pour
into prepared pan. Allow to set at room temperature until firm. Invert
pan and peel off foil. Break into pieces. Melt chocolate and
shortening in double boiler over simmering water; dip candy pieces in
chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets and allow to dry at
room temperature. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Makes about 2 1/2
pounds candy. |
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Buttery, Soft Caramels
2 cups granulated
sugar |
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Butter a 13x9-inch
pan; set aside. Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy 4-quart
saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is
melted and mixture comes to a boil (15 to 20 minutes). Continue cooking,
until candy thermometer reaches 244°F or small amount of mixture
dropped into ice water forms a firm ball (about 25 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat;
stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely. Cut into 1
1/2x1-inch pieces; wrap candies. Store refrigerated. Makes 6 dozen
caramels. |
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Arlene
Correll’s Never Fail Pralines
(My oldest daughter, Donna, considers these the best she has ever eaten.
Better than those made in Savannah or New Orleans, or so she is
kind enough to say.) |
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2 cups of sugar |
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Combine sugar, milk,
syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is
dissolved. Cook without
stirring until candy thermometer reaches 238˚F. (soft ball stage).
Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
(110˚F.) Add
vanilla. Then beat until
mixture is thick and creamy. Stir
in pecans. Drop from the
tip of a spoon onto waxed paper. Shape
with a spoon to form a circle and to spread pecans so that they are only
one layer deep. All to
remain undisturbed until the pralines are firm.
Makes 1 ¼ pounds of candy.
(Make on a dry day!) |
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Pralines Pralines are a
Southern specialty and there are so many recipes out there it is
unbelievable. Everyone has
their favorite. These
pralines have pecans and brown sugar. You can eat as is, or crumble and
use as a garnish for ice cream or other desserts. 1 cup granulated
sugar Combine sugar, brown
sugar, butter, water and light corn syrup. Using a candy thermometer,
and without stirring, cook over medium heat to the 'soft-ball stage,' or
234°F*. Cool to 200°F
without stirring. Stir in pecans and return to heat, stirring until
thickened. Drop by spoonfuls
onto wax paper and cool until firm. Makes 2 dozen. |
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Cow
Pies (Did you know that
cow pies originated in Wisconsin where it is a very well known candy?) 2 cups (12-ounces)
milk chocolate chips 1 tablespoon
vegetable shortening 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup toasted
slivered almonds, chopped 1/2 cup toasted
shredded coconut In a double boiler
over simmering water, melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring
until smooth. Remove from heart. Stir in raisins, almonds and coconut,
mixing well. Drop by
tablespoonfuls onto a foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap lined baking
sheet. Chill until ready to serve. Makes about 2 dozen. Caramel
Nut Logs
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Filling Ingredients: 1/2 cup Butter 1 (14-ounce) package
caramels, unwrapped |
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Microwave 1/2 cup
butter and marshmallow creme in large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH,
stirring once, until melted (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes). Stir until well
mixed. Stir in 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar; mix well. Knead in up to 1/2
cup additional powdered sugar with hands until mixture is firm and no
longer shiny. Divide mixture into
6 equal parts. Shape each part into 5x1-inch log. Wrap each log in
plastic food wrap. Place logs onto un-greased baking sheet. Freeze until
firm (at least 2 hours or overnight). Line another baking
sheet with waxed paper. Set aside. Place chopped nuts on another sheet
of waxed paper. Set aside. Place caramels, 2
tablespoons butter and half & half in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over
medium heat, stirring often, until caramels are melted and smooth.
Reduce heat to low to keep caramel mixture warm. Remove logs from
freezer; unwrap. Dip 1 frozen log into warm caramel mixture with tongs
or two-pronged meat fork; turn to coat. Remove log allowing excess
caramel mixture to drip back into pan. Place caramel-coated
log on nut-covered waxed paper. Lifting waxed paper, roll logs to coat
with nuts. (If needed, use hands to press nuts into log.) Set log on
prepared baking sheet to cool. Repeat with remaining logs. Refrigerate 1
hour; wrap each log in plastic food wrap. Store refrigerated. Cut each
log into 12 slices. Makes 6 dozen
candies. |
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Maple Candy (very easy to
make at home, but please note the red statement) (Please note that these two recipes are not for making with
children nearby as maple candy making is very, very hot work)
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Equipment needed For
Candy: Pure maple syrup,
Grade A Light Amber or Medium Amber works best. A quart (4 cups) will
make 2 pounds of candy. Deep cooking pot or
pan. Candy thermometer
(available at house ware store) capable of measuring to 2400 F.
Candy molds. Rubber
molds work best, or lightly greased metal or wood molds. A few drops of
butter or vegetable oil. Directions For
Candy: Fill pan partially
with water and the thermometer. Bring to a boil, and
note the temperature of the boiling water.
Empty the pan. Place syrup in pan;
using a deep pan as the boiling syrup will foam up fairly high when
boiling. Add a few drops of
oil or butter. (This helps to keep foam down). Boil carefully over
high heat without stirring, until temperature of the boiling syrup is 320
F above the boiling point of the water, as noted
earlier. Watch carefully as the
temperature climbs higher. It can get too hot very quickly near the end.
If your pan boils over, you'll have a real mess! If it cooks too long it
can scorch, even catch fire. Watch It! (This is not a place for children
nearby, as the boiling syrup is VERY hot,
and can stick and burn). Remove from heat,
and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Stir evenly (don't
beat) until the liquid looses its gloss and starts to become opaque.
This should take a few minutes, and is the tricky part to learn the
exact correct moment to pour off. Stir too long and the thickened syrup
will "set up" (harden) in the pan. If this happens, add a cup
of water, and re-heat slowly to dissolve sugar, then start over. If you
don't stir long enough, the sugar may not "set up" in the
molds at all. Pour carefully into
molds. Small aluminum foil pans can be used. Allow to cool,
remove from molds, place on a rack to dry for a few hours...enjoy! Maple
Cream Making maple cream
(maple spread) at home is a fairly easy process, but extreme care must
be taken because it involves very hot liquids. Equipment needed For
Cream: 1. Pure maple syrup,
Grade A Light Amber or Medium Amber works best. A quart (4 cups) will
make 2 pounds of maple cream. 2. Deep cooking pot
or pan. 3. Candy thermometer
(available at house ware store) capable of measuring to 240o
F. 4. A few drops of
butter or vegetable oil. 5. A large pan or
sink full of cold water. Directions for
Cream: 1. Fill pan
partially with water and the thermometer. 2. Bring to a boil,
and note the temperature of the boiling water. Empty the pan. 3. Place syrup in
pan; using a deep pan as the boiling syrup will foam up fairly high when
boiling. 4. Add a few drops
of oil or butter. (This helps to keep foam down). 5. Boil carefully
over high heat without stirring, until temperature of the boiling syrup
is 240 F above the boiling point of the water, as noted
earlier. Watch carefully as the temperature climbs higher. It can get
too hot very quickly near the end. If your pan boils over, you'll have a
real mess! If it cooks too long it can scorch, even catch fire. Watch
It! (This is not a place for children nearby, as the boiling syrup is
VERY hot, and can stick and burn). 6. Remove from heat,
and place immediately into a large pan or sink of very cold water to
cool. Do not move, stir, or disturb the syrup during cooling. You can
gently add some ice cubes to the water bath. 7. Cool to near room
temperature (Hold the back of your hand close to the surface, its cool
enough when you don't feel any heat radiating off the surface anymore). 8. Remove from water
bath and stir slowly with a wooden spoon until it looses its gloss and
starts to get opaque. You will notice a change in the color of the
liquid. This will take a strong hand and some time. It will get to the
consistency of peanut butter when finished. 9. Spoon into
containers and keep refrigerated. 10. Lick all the
utensils and enjoy. |
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Coconut
Marshmallow Eggs
Ingredients |
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HERSHEY’S Candy
Coated Milk Chocolate Eggs Directions |
| 1. Combine water and food color in small bowl or
small jar with cover or re-sealable plastic bag. Add coconut; toss with
fork or shake closed jar or plastic bag until coconut is evenly coated. 2. Microwave marshmallows and butter in medium microwave-safe bowl 30 seconds at HIGH (100%); stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until mixture is melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in tinted coconut. 3. Line tray or cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop coconut mixture in 12 equal mounds onto prepared tray. Shape coconut mounds with moistened fingers into small nest shapes. Cool completely. Allow to air dry until slightly hardened. Fill with milk chocolate eggs. Makes 12 candies. |
| If you have some similar
recipes and would like to share them with others, send them along to me
via email at [email protected]
|
| (c) Copyright March 30, 2004 www.learn-america.com All rights reserved. |
|
"You
have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money,
unless you have done something for someone who cannot repay you." |
